Pathologic Analysis and Treatment of Chronic Burn Wounds Suspected to be Marjolin's Jlcers

ABSTRACT

'Marjolin' ulcer' is used to describe the malignant transformation of a chronic ulcer which has developed in a burn scar. Clinically, although the lesions is slowly progressive, it comes to be more aggressive when the scar barrier is disrupted. We reviewed 24 cases in patients who complained of chronic burn wounds suspected to be Marjolin's ulcer. The mean latent period for developing pathologic lesions was 31 years. Histologically, chronic ulcer and pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia were 21% respectively, while malignancy including squamous cell carcinoma and leiomyosarcoma was 56%. The mean elapsed time to diagnose squamous cell carcinogma was 33.2 years. In pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia which is considered as a transitional state to malignant tumor, wide excision and reconstruction with free muscle flap was a better procedure than skin graft for the prevention of recurrence and malignant transformation. As well, the same modality of treatment was also applied in malignant tumors.